Project Evaluation

My TechQuest project has been going quite well, overall.  I haven't been able to get some areas completed as quickly as I would have liked to, but other areas have been going faster than I thought they would.  If I were to do this again in the future, I think I would have a better idea of how long each task would take, and what order I needed to get each thing completed.  Many teachers try to get organized in their classrooms, and there are a lot of books on how to make them organized.  However, my classroom is a bit different than the "typical" classroom.  One of the reasons I wanted to do this TechQuest project was so that I could organize and start a curriculum for special education teachers.  There are so few special education teachers for students with emotional impairments compared to general education teachers.  I hoped that by completing this project, more teachers will be able to have a resource to use in their classroom for a curriculum and organization tool.


In years to come, I plan (as all teachers do) to change, tweak, and update my lessons and curriculum.  This will be much easier now that I have a baseline curriculum to get me started in my classroom.  I plan to add more lessons and activities to this curriculum, and continue to update my organization tools.  When I update my lessons in the future, I am now familiar with getting them into the computer and finding them online.  I am also familiar with updating my schedules and organization tools that I have on my computer.  It is always easier when you have a starting point to push off from.

Project Implementation Update 1

I feel that this project is going very well.  I am getting myself organized using the Internet and my computer.  I am able to keep myself organized with my lesson plans using Open Office.  I have made about 4 different lesson plan templats since I have started, since I have such a hectic classroom.  I have created each in Open Office and changed and tweeked them.  Each has had a good part in it that I have tried to take from that lesson into the next lesson plan.  My newest seems to be working the best.

My schedule on the board to immitate my lesson plans is working great.  I was thinking of putting one on my SMARTBoard also.  Then I will be able to easily tweak it and have students change and cross out things as needed.  This could be done by 12/3/10.

I have copied about half of the lessons I would like to, and put them into groups.  I still need to scan them and group them in the computer and SMARTBoard.  I have been using the lessons in order so far, but haven't made my own curriculum to use with the students and been organizing it by subject area.  I would like to get this done within the next two weeks.

All is going well so far!  Hopefully I'll say the same soon!

Research for TechQuest Project

So far, I have been searching for a lot of information that can help me in my classroom with my organization problems.  I have been getting a lot of help from the people I work with.  From the research I have done online, my collegues and I have gotten together and adapted it to my individual teaching techniques and classroom.

For behavior charts, I tried to come up with my own, but searched for different kinds to look at on the Internet to get my ideas from.  I typed "behavior charts" into http://www.bing.com/ and found http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/.  While on this website, I also read other good information about controlling tempor tantrums and awesome resources for my curriculum I am putting together for my EI classroom.

When I search in http://www.bing.com/ or http://www.google.com/ for "behavior curriculum," "emotional impairment lessons," or anything within this nature, in the past, the searches have always come to a "dead end."  I don't know what specific title to search for in the search engines.  I have been able to come up with specific lessons (such as the ones in http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/), but haven't been able to come up with a person's curriculum that has been made in the past.  I hope to make my curriculum available to others on the web so that they can have the access that I haven't had in the past.

When I look for simple lessons for my students with learning disabilities, I have had success in http://www.abcteach.com/.  These are very simple lessons that I use for my students to use in time fillers in my room.  These are worksheets I use to supplement my lessons I use in the classroom.

The website exchange.smarttech.com is very valuable in my classroom.  I have successfully found color-coded flip charts to keep track of behavior in my classroom, spelling games to practice with my students who need more encouragement, and math lessons that give one-on-one help with encouragement to my students who have learning disabilities.

These websites, search engines, and ideas I have found are very helpful to my plan of organizing my classroom with the help of technology.  I want to be able to get everything online and ready to go by January of this year, and so far I am on schedule.

CEP 812-Project Description

The major need I have in my classroom is organization.  I feel as thought I have 10 different jobs to do and I'm simply trying to put out small fires so that I can make it through my day.  I want to have something set in place that I can have lesson plans for my EI program, schedules for my day as well as my 2 aides and 2 full pull out students, ideas for push in classes, and assistive technology ready to use in the classroom.

As far as the lesson plans for the EI program, I am going to start by looking in the books I have in my classroom, along with my online resources.  I am going to make a main copy of every lesson I feel would be good to use in my program.  I will then group them by subject. I will then come up with a curriculum timeline of how long I would like to work on what subject and what order I should work with them.  I will then come up with dates for when I will work with them.  I would like to get all of this done by 11/22/10.

I would like to scan the lessons into the computer so that they are ready to use on the SMARTBoard at any time in the curriculum.  They will then again be organized on the computer.  This I would like to be done by 12/6/10.

When I am done with this curriculum, I would like to pick out what lessons would be good to use in the push in setting, and also find other push in lessons to use in the classrooms.  This needs to be done so that my students in the special education program along with the students in the general education setting can learn how to deal with their emotions.  I would like this done by 1/21/11.

I would like to make a master schedule for what my students are doing when.  I have schedules for each myself and my 2 aides, however I feel that we are missing a lot working our days the way we are.  I would like to have a master schedule in the room and also schedules for each of us to carry them around with us so that we know what is going on.  I would like to create individual schedules for each of us and then a master to use in the classroom.  I would like this done by 11/19/10.

I need to find more assistive technologies to use in my classroom.  I am having difficulties finding technology programs to help teach earlier reading skills to higher grade levels.  I am also finding it hard to know where to look to find activities to use on the SMARTBoard.  I plan to keep a list of programs and assistive technologies on my delicious page.  I am currently looking, and will always look, but hope to have a good amount of sources by 12/17/10.

If you have any ideas, or help that you can think of, please let me know!  Thank you for your time!

CEP 811 Bringing It All Together

I feel that I have grown a lot during this course in my masters program.  I now have made a huge StAIR project that is helping my students deal with their emotions when they are at their most volnerable.  I have started and kept up on a blog...something I never believed I would ever do.  This class has taught me so much in growing toward being a technology educator.  I can see myself teaching blogs, wikis, and online learning in my classroom.  This class has taught me techniques, and given me ideas on how to do this in my classroom.  I now know good ways to put effective technology lesson plans into place.  I know what steps to put into place, before I set up a lesson plan.  I need to make sure that the technology is helping the students' learning, not just sitting there being a distraction.  I need to look at how it is influencing their learning and how they can use it in the future.

I feel that I have met my goal of getting my students more involved.  My students are excited everytime I have a new technology-based idea that I bring into my classroom.  The student are very excited about my StAIR design, and the wikis I have shown them.  I have now learned more ways to get my students excited and involved in my lessons.  I plan to keep this goal going in the future, and trying to motivate as many students with as much technology as possible (as long as it's relevent).  Thank you CEP 811!

CEP 811 Online Teaching and Learning

In the new Michigan Merit Curriculum, with the Online Learning, students now have to take some kind of online course.  This is something that is hard for me to think about because I work with early elementary students.  I believe my part in this is to get students used to the computer and Internet.  I believe that I, as well as the rest of the teachers, need to incoorporate computer and technology into my everyday lessons.  This gets the students familiar and expecting an online learning course in the future. 

I believe that I would be able to start a blog with my students, so that they would get used to interacting with their teacher online over the computer instead of always getting feedback face-to-face.  I feel that this is another way that I could get students ready for an online course that they will take later on in their educational career.  Michigan Merit allows the students to take an online course and break it down to somehow equal 20 hours.  I believe that they should take a complete online course, to get them ready for later on in life.  There are many more online courses at alternative schools, colleges, and other learning opportunities.

At this point in my students' learning careers, I believe it would be very hard to have online classes.  I think that I could work with my students at this age and get them used to blogs and online learning.  However, I don't believe that early elementary students are ready to take full online courses this early in their education.  I feel that they are too novice in their knowledge.

TechQuest CEP 812

In my classroom, there are many problems that we deal with everyday.  Teaching often looks like a job that is made to put out fires.  One major problem that I have in my classroom is that I am having trouble organizing my time and day.  I need to find my own curriculum to use with behavior, do push in sessions in the general education classrooms, do full pull out education with two students, and make sure these students are getting to all of their specials and other activities.  I need a way to find resources to create lesson plans and curriculum for behavior.  I need to have something put together that I can pull out on any given day a lesson plan for spitting, hitting, self-esteem, respect, optimism, and so on.  I need to be able to have this ready so that I can plan the rest of my day.  I need to be able to have resources available to take with me into my push in settings that won’t take up much of my very busy day.

This problem is something that stems all of the other problems of my day.  I am unorganized about how to keep my behavior lessons together and what to teacher.  Therefore, when a problem occurs with my students, I am merely putting out fires.  I need to be pro-active and find ways to solve the problems before they happen. I would like to make files that would organize my lessons and actually find the lessons somewhere.  I would like to organize my days, and state what I will do if each situation occurs (for instance, if _____ hits another student, _____ will happen).  By not having in place what I will do in each situation, I am creating more stress on my students, staff, self, and classroom as a whole.  I need to find a way to become more organized and keep the organization in the classroom so that the students can learn to prevent their mistakes instead of trying to learn from them.

Google Apps

    I evaluated Google Document.  This is a very user-friendly application, and one that I have used in many different settings on many different occasions.  I have used this application to create a word document that I am trying to take/edit from home to work.  I have used it as a document that I have shared and edited with colleagues, so that we can each edit the document at our own given times.  I have also used it with students, so that they can save their document in a place that they can come back to on any computer at any place.
    In order to use this application in an educational setting, a student would need to know basic typing and spelling skills.  It would make the process easier if the student has used a word editing application before, in order to know basic functions and button uses (such as tab, enter for new paragraph, different size font, bold, italic, underline...).  It is a very simple application once a student has learned the basics of the program.  It is much more basic than applications such as Microsoft Word, or Open Office.  It is a simple word editing application that has fewer buttons for editing the document and adding extensive material.  However, if the editor wants to edit using these more advanced features, the editor needs to know what each of the features does/how to get to them, instead of simply how to push the button.  Having less buttons to push means needing to know more about what needs to be done in order to get your task fulfilled.
    In order to share Google Document, the creator simply needs to create a new document, copy the web link that they created, and send it to the people they wish to share it with.  Or, they could create a link button in their Wiki, Webpage, or Blog.  This application can be used to teach anything in education that a teacher would normally type up to print off for students.  It could also be used to allow students to type assignments or reports.  Instead of printing, teachers and students could simply share the link to their file that they have created.  This application would make collaboration much easier for teachers and students because it is readily available on the web.  Once the link is shared, anyone who knows the address can access the document at anytime.
    The teacher does have to take into consideration that extra students could see the document and share their input.  It would make cheating easier, but students must be held accountable for their honesty just as they always have been.  Teachers also need to make sure that if they assign homework using Google Document, they need to take into consideration those students who don’t have Internet access to collaborate. However, perhaps these students could go to another team member’s house to collaborate, as they would in a traditional setting.

Wiki Wiki Wiki

Obviously the name is too fun to handle.  This week I was able to play with Wikipedia for the first time.  I use Wikipedia as a resource all the time, but I've never edited it.  I added my school to the schools already on Wikipedia from my district.  Very Exciting!


I also created my own Wiki!  http://www.wikispaces.com/user/my/jchomic  I'm working on making it more exciting, so please, give any ideas or comments you have!  Thanks!

Instructional Strategies

I believe that using a constructivist approach to learning would be a good way to use blogs in the classroom.  This would allow the students to easily update the teacher (who could be a follower and contributor to the posts) on how their projects are going, and what they have learned so far.  It would be an easy thing to do.  Instead of turning in paper work, the student would easily be able to move from one browser or tab to another and quickly write a post in their blog updating on what is going on that day or week in their project.  This would work very well especially in WebQuests and online research projects.

The instructional strategies I believe wouldn't work well with blogs would be traditional approaches in learning.  Teachers who are using traditional methods to teach with paper and pencil, and chalkboards, whiteboards, and even SMARTBoards.  These ways are not necessarily wrong, or worse for learning, they are just different.  It seems that it would be unnessesary for the students to stop writing their assignments on paper or working in a traditional lecture model, and take time to blog.  This just seems that it would be breaking the flow of the learning style and not needed.  It seems that it would just be added to say that technology was being used.  Technology wouldn't be being used in the best way possible.

In my classroom, I have students who are often upset and can't communicate for hours at a time because they can't control their emotions.  I could use blogs to allow me to talk with my students, and allow them to get their feelings out and to have someone to talk to, without needing them to look at me.  Sometimes it makes it harder for students to get over their anger when they are seeing someone's face.  Writing in a blog and leaving it for me to respond to would make the process much easier for some of my students.  They usually don't like to write, but working on the computer motivates them.  This would be a great way to work on their emotions and behavior when we can't work face-to-face.

Thinking outside the box: Blogs are also good communication.  Teachers are already emailing and phoning with students to help with math, reading, and all other homework.  Why not put it on a blog?  Then all other students can see what the teacher is helping one child with, and doesn't have to send out the same email/phone call to 15 other students!

Computer-Based Instructional Objects

When creating computer-based instructional objects for students to use independently, additional considerations need to be made.  These considerations need to include what websites should be accessible for the students.  Considering the age group, the students probably shouldn't be doing intense reading, and the website shouldn't be over-whelming as to distract the students from the information they should be trying to find.  The educator should also consider where the website or links on the StAIR project leads the students.  Do they lead the students somewhere that the students shouldn't be?  Does it lead the students somewhere that is off-task and distracting for the students?

A good WebQuest that I found having to do with a content area I taught last year (I don't teach specific curriculum this year) has to do with the moon affecting the pull of the tides.  The website is http://www.internet4classrooms.com/tide.htm .  I thought this was a really good WebQuest because it actually has the students researching in a way that doesn't feel like research.  It has them acting as if they are trying to solve a mystery.  It keeps them well on-track and gives them specific questions to answer in order to be able to solve the overall question.  Please go here and check it out!

Traditional Web Pages vs. Blogs

I think many of us believe that the web can add to our teaching and learning.  Traditional Web Pages offer a lot of information (good and bad) and allow easy access to the information.  However, Blogs offer a different approach to getting information.  The main difference between the two is blogs use a lot of opinion, and a spot for people to talk their minds.  They allow a lot more interaction between people in the cyber-world, because we can read, and respond on the same webpage.  This can be done very quickly, and immediately (most often).

As for traditional web pages, often if you want to respond to something being said/accessed, you would email the creator.  This takes a while to get the message, and reply.  Then, if it impacted the creator, they must put the information on their website, or change what is there.

CEP 811

I am finally in my 2nd class of my masters.  This is 2 out of 10.  Say a prayer for me please.  I just started a new job, and just moved within the last month.  Ahhh!  Am I out of my mind?

I want to say "Hi" to my new group-mates: Brittany, Karrey, and Lisa.

Thanks for reading!

Jac